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Monthly Archives: September 2016

We’ve accepted the fact that fall is here and are ready to cozy up with warm sweaters and festive cocktails. But we aren’t suggesting you only sip Irish coffees for the next three months. This season brings a new roster of autumn-appropriate cocktails for your sipping pleasure.

This drink’s wonder-ingredient is Spicy Pumpkin Infused Vodka which takes a bit of time but is well worth the effort. The great news is that once you’ve made a batch you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor with this season-worthy martini. You can also include the recipe with a beautifully packaged bottle of the infused vodka as a hostess gift as you enter into this party season. Either way, ENJOY!

GIDGET’S PUMPKIN MARTINI

Anything pumpkin makes us happy this time of year, so we wanted to create a cocktail that was the best of these flavors without being overly sweet.

HOW TO MAKE IT ::On a small plate, mix together three teaspoons of granulated sugar and three shakes of pumpkin spice. On second small plate add five tablespoons water. Dip glass rims into water briefly then dip into sugar mixture to rim glasses in pumpkin sugar. Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and use a fine wire strainer to double strain the mixture into cocktail glasses.

We’ve accepted the fact that fall is here and are ready to cozy up with warm sweaters and festive cocktails. But we aren’t suggesting you only sip Irish coffees for the next three months. This season brings a new roster of autumn-appropriate cocktails for your sipping pleasure.

This lovely libation contains a special ingredient – bacon infused bourbon – which is so easy to make you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can ramp-up your Fall cocktail menu with such an easy recipe. You can find the recipe HERE. Once you’ve got that done and proudly sitting on your home bar, mix up this cocktail, surround yourself with friends and relish in the bright foliage of the changing season.

HOW TO MAKE IT ::Combine bourbon, maple syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Using barspoon, stir gently until well chilled. Strain mixture into ice filled glasses. Twist orange over glass and use as garnish.

This is the first week of Autumn and I’m so ready to dive into the new flavors of the season. Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of bourbon so this recipe has become a personal favorite so I’m happy to share it as part of our Fall inspired infusion line up.

I’ve decided to start this Fall season with a series of infusions that will have you enjoying the season’s best flavors: warm vanilla, inviting pumpkin and even savory smoky bacon. If you like the creativity of cooking and combining flavors–and, like me, you mix a few cocktails now and again – then infusions are a great place to play around and have fun personalizing your home bar. So for the next few days we’re introducing a series of fall-inspired spirit infusions (and a few cocktails too!) for you to kick off the season.

Spirit infusions are very simple. You soak ingredients in a base alcohol until you like the taste. Sounds fun and easy, right? Infusions require a waiting time to properly yield the best results and most robust flavors. Get these infusions started now and your patience will pay off in a few weeks.

BACON INFUSED BOURBON

This combination of flavors is just as delicious as it sounds and the infusion process is simpler than it sounds. With the recipe below and a bit of patience, you’ll be enjoying bacon in your beverage in no time.

In a large skillet cook bacon until done. Remove bacon slices and set aside. Allow bacon fat to cool slightly. Using a small mixing bowl and cheesecloth, strain bacon fat through cheesecloth to remove all bacon or cooked bits. Once strained, measure out 1.5 oz of bacon fat and set aside. In a large glass bowl combine the bottle of bourbon, reserved bacon fat and 2 slices of bacon.

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 4-6 hours. After the 4-6 hour infusion, move bowl into the freezer and freeze for about 8 hours or until the fat has frozen solid. Carefully remove solidified fat and bacon slices from bowl and discard. Strain the bourbon through 2 layers of cheesecloth back into your original bottle or other storage container.

The key to all infusions will be to choose a decent quality brand for your base spirit. There’s no need to break the bank for a premium variety, but avoid the cheapest ones because no amount of spice will take away the harshness of cheap alcohol. So get in your kitchen and have fun adding a twist to fall’s scrumptious flavors.

Oh, how I love the fall season! Now is the time to step away from the lemons and limes of summer and head into the cozy cocktails and flavors of autumn with these spirit infusions.

This is the second of three recipes that will have you enjoying the season’s best: warm vanilla, inviting pumpkin and even savory smoky bacon. If you like the creativity of cooking and combining flavors–and, like us, you mix a few cocktails now and again – then infusions are a great place to play around and have fun personalizing your home bar.

SPICY PUMPKIN VODKA

A lot of spirit infusions start with vodka. This spirit is an ideal base for liqueurs because it’s colorless and flavorless, making it the perfect start for absorbing your flavors.

HOW TO MAKE IT ::
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and using ice cream scooper, scrape away all seeds until clean. Using vegetable peeler, peel away all skin from the pumpkin. Cut into 1/4” chunks and place onto foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle all pieces with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Bake until just tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Place cooled pumpkin, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans (do not cut beans as they will overpower the other flavors) and candied ginger into glass container. Pour vodka over all ingredients and seal. Let infusion sit at room temperature in a dark space for 10 to14 days, shaking mixture gently every day to combine flavors. Strain infused vodka through cheesecloth to capture all ingredients and funnel final produce back into vodka bottle.

Spirit infusions are very simple. You soak ingredients in a base alcohol until you like the taste. Sounds fun and easy, right? Infusions require a waiting time to properly yield the best results and most robust flavors. Get these infusions started now and your patience will pay off in a few weeks.

The key to all infusions will be to choose a decent quality brand for your base spirit. There’s no need to break the bank for a premium variety, but avoid the cheapest ones because no amount of spice will take away the harshness of cheap alcohol. So get in your kitchen and have fun adding a twist to fall’s scrumptious flavors.

Oh, how I love the Fall season! Now is the time to step away from the lemons and limes of summer and head into the cozy cocktails and flavors of autumn with these spirit infusions.

I’ve decided to start this Fall season with a series of infusions that will have you enjoying the season’s best flavors: warm vanilla, inviting pumpkin and even savory smoky bacon. If you like the creativity of cooking and combining flavors–and, like me, you mix a few cocktails now and again – then infusions are a great place to play around and have fun personalizing your home bar. So for the next few days we’re introducing a series of fall-inspired spirit infusions (and a few cocktails too!) for you to kick off the season.

Spirit infusions are very simple. You soak ingredients in a base alcohol until you like the taste. Sounds fun and easy, right? Infusions require a waiting time to properly yield the best results and most robust flavors. Get these infusions started now and your patience will pay off in a few weeks.

FRENCH VANILLA VODKAThis infusion is oh-so simple and yields a delicious product. If you’re planning ahead, this is a fantastic DIY holiday or hostess gift. Simply place in smaller decorative bottles and voila!

HOW TO MAKE IT ::Using paring knife, slice vanilla beans down the middle of the pod with the tip of the knife. Place beans into vodka bottle and seal.
Let stand for a minimum of 5 days, up to 2 weeks.
The longer the infusion time, the more robust the vanilla flavor. You will notice the vodka will turn a nice warm brown shade within an hour and after 2 weeks that color will darken over time.
Store in a cool, dark place during the infusion process and be sure to shake your bottle every few days to help distribute the flavor. At the end of 2 weeks, remove the vanilla beans and discard.

The key to all infusions will be to choose a decent quality brand for your base spirit. There’s no need to break the bank for a premium variety, but avoid the cheapest ones because no amount of spice will take away the harshness of cheap alcohol. So get in your kitchen and have fun adding a twist to fall’s scrumptious flavors.